August 7, 2025

by Lauren Ferguson

Natividad Gomez ‘03 didn’t learn to read until the third grade.

Now she holds a BA in Literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey, and two master’s degrees – one in teaching, the other in educational leadership management and policy – and is in pursuit of her doctorate. She is also a director for the Community Charter School of Paterson.

Gomez returned to Ramapo’s Mahwah campus this month to share her journey during the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program’s Legacy Lounge. The event was held during EOF’s five-week summer transition session for incoming scholars. Featuring a round-robin style mixer and a panel discussion, it gave new Roadrunners the opportunity to form connections with and be inspired by EOF alumni.

Since 1968, New Jersey EOF programs have ensured access to higher education for state residents coming from backgrounds of economic and educational disadvantage. Ramapo’s program is bolstered by comprehensive support services and alumni connections to promote retention and progress through graduation. It features one-on-one advising, mentoring, academic support programs and tutoring.

As a young immigrant from the Dominican Republic who did not speak English, Gomez told scholars that she believed education and success were not meant for her. Then  EOF transformed her mindset.

“I always grew up thinking I wasn’t good enough. But thanks to Ramapo College and thanks to the EOF program, I was able to go to college, and I learned education, it’s your goal too,” Gomez told scholars. It is okay to switch majors, take time to discover what you ultimately want to do, and if you fall, get back up and keep going, she told them.

“Take advantage of the time that you have here. Right now, every single person here, I want you to understand that it’s a privilege to be in EOF, because the opportunities are limitless,” she said.

EOF Success Mentor Alondra Torres ‘28 cheered loudly for Gomez. “It’s very inspirational … It’s nice seeing that people who look like me and come from the same community as me, they’ve reached far,” said Torres, a Psychology major from Passaic, NJ who hopes to earn her doctorate.

Gomez was joined at the event by her husband, Isaiah Gomez ‘04, whom she met in EOF 25 years ago.

EOF alumni Isaiah Gomez ’04 , now a professor and middle school science teacher, spoke to EOF scholars.

“Be open minded and allow yourself to grow,” said Isaiah Gomez, now a professor and middle school science teacher for Paterson Public Schools. A former basketball player for Ramapo, he holds a BA in Sociology from Ramapo, a MA in Urban Education and Leadership and a Doctorate of Education in Education Technology and Leadership.

Gabriella Ammiano, director of the EOF program and student success at Ramapo, said the goal of the event was to demonstrate to scholars what life can be like after EOF, and that the EOF network will be with them long after they graduate.

“We care about them staying connected,” Ammiano said. “Once EOF, always EOF.”

For the event, Ammiano and her team brought back alumni who have experience in areas the scholars are interested in, “so that they can see that, ‘hey, maybe I could be that someday,’” she said.

EOF Scholars heard from alumni during the Legacy Lounge.

Zal Charles ‘29, a Data Science major from Jersey City, NJ had the opportunity to speak with Raul Hincapie ‘20 and ‘23, now a lead analyst in market insights for Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies.

Charles called the conversation “eye-opening.” He asked Hincapie – who earned his BS in  Engineering Physics and his MS in Data Science – about Ramapo’s Data Science coursework.

“Let’s just say the courses set you up for success,” Hincapie told him. “They really show you how to do the technical side, but then also how to deliver it to people.”

Hincapie told scholars that having an open mind has made all the difference for him. When he leaped from Engineering Physics to Data Science, he told himself he would just see how it went. “I think not closing any door really made me realize I could open so many,” he said.

Now when he gets a bit of imposter syndrome, “I take notes, I take a deep breath, and I say, ‘Let me just leave the doors open and it’ll lead me somewhere,’” he said. “If I would have closed the doors, I don’t think I would have been where I am today.”